Sirrī al-Saqaṭī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه turned to Junayd Baghdādi رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه, and declared, “Son! You tell us! What is shukr?”

Junayd Baghdādi رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه replied, اَنْ لَّا تَعْصِی اللہَ بِنِعْمَۃٍ - “That you do not disobey Allah in return for a bounty. This is shukr.”^[1]

We come to know that the reality of shukr (gratefulness) is that when a person receives a bounty, rather than becoming immersed in sin, he shows obedience to Allah. May Allah enable us to express much gratitude for the blessings of Ramaḍān, maintain devotion for Ramaḍān even after its completion and lead pious lives.

اٰمِیْن بِجَاہِ النَّبِیِّ الْاَمِیْن صلَّی اللہ عَلَیْہِ واٰلہٖ وسلَّم

A duʿā of the righteous

Allah has mentioned a duʿā of intellectual and pious people in the Quran:

رَبَّنَا لَا تُزِغۡ قُلُوۡبَنَا بَعۡدَ  اِذۡ ہَدَیۡتَنَا وَ ہَبۡ لَنَا مِنۡ لَّدُنۡکَ رَحۡمَۃً ۚ   اِنَّکَ اَنۡتَ الۡوَہَّابُ (۸)

Translation from Kanz al-Īmān: (Those with sound knowledge say) 'O our Lord, do not cause our hearts to deviate after You have guided us, and bestow mercy upon us from Yourself. Indeed, You are the Greatest Sustainer.^[2]

اَلْـحَمْـدُ لـِلّٰـه Hearts attain guidance in Ramaḍān. The number of people   offering salah increases. Reciters of the Quran swell in number. There is a relative increase in many kinds of worship, such as tarāwīḥ, Ꜥitikāf, charity and benevolence towards other Muslims. Certainly, this is guidance. We attained the light of guidance this month, we became more passionate to perform good deeds, and we gained the ability to